It must be retro-week in football. First English fans rioting in Europe and now bananas being thrown at black players.

In a story which makes me, an Irishman, weep with despair, Man City’s Gael Clichy has complained that a banana was thrown at him during his side’s friendly game with League of Ireland side Limerick City at Thomond Park on Sunday.

After the game, the French full-back Tweeted: “How sad to see “bananas thrown on the pitch” tonight. Knowing people around the world need food. #nowordsforthis.’

In light of the incident, Limerick City released the following statement:

“Limerick FC and Thomond Park are to review CCTV footage to identify the individual who threw an offensive object onto the field.

‘The individual will be banned from all future games at Thomond Park and Jackman Park and the matter will be passed on to the police.’

Ireland has only really had to experience high levels of immigration since the 1990s when all was good with the Irish economy. So it’s still in its infancy in terms of developing into a place at ease with its multi-cultural make-up. Let’s hope it happens sooner rather than later and that the banana-throwing twat is caught quickly.

On a separate note, Roque Santa Cruz played for City in Limerick in the game which the Citizens won 4-0. I didn’t know he was still with them!

19Comments

Since when is banana an offensive object? Why don’t we try growing thicker skins for once?
Manuel Neuer was being pelted with bananas and nobody found that to be an offensive barrage of offensive objects.
We live in a fucked up world…and they say globalization is good!

Neuer got bananas thrown at him because he’s the Bayern keeper. Bayern keepers getting bananas thrown at them is a tradition that goes back to Oliver Kahn, the Vanilla Gorilla. With Neuer it has nothing to do with race.

I was at the match and saw this happen. Truly disgusted by this and I never thought I’d say this, but I have the up-most sympathy for Gael Clichy. I really don’t think this is a true representation of Ireland or even Limerick for that matter. This isn’t down to Ireland not being accustomed to multi-culturism, this is down to one idiots stupid decision. Believe me, 98% of the 20,000 in attendance would not be that stupid..

1-20K people with smart phones and no picture of the offending banana ?
2-There was 2 sets of supporters at the match ,why is it a given that it was a Irish person that did the deed ?
3-Whats 1 alleged idiot at a football game got to do with multiculturalism in Ireland ?
4- “In a story that makes me ,an Irishman weep with despair …” – please stop eating all the pies ,its affecting your ability to think straight .

Let me get this straight, Bayern goalkeepers are allowed to be pelted with bananas but not sissy overrated French backs who should probably be playing in Canada or the like…I say fuck that! Throw bananas at everyone! Football has to be the only the sport where grown men cry about a fucking fruit being tossed. Sensitive guys.

As an immigrant from a small island, as a black male that loves football, as someone who has no predisposition against anyone from any race i find it really offensive that “Ireland” has to take the blame for this. Really??? Ireland goes retro? So the location of said football match now makes “Ireland” as in an entire country have to bite the bullet on this one? I’m not trying to be sensitive or overly politically correct here, but that idiot who threw could have been on vacation from Italy, hell even Russia. Who knows? But because its a Limerick match in Ireland all of a sudden “Ireland lacks multiculturalism” ? Really??

This is what happens when we let scummy football supporters into the hallowed grounds of Thomond park,and 20,000 were there true, around 50 of that would be the Limerick FC supporters. Everyone was there to see Man City and welcome them to Limerick instead some knacker drags Limerick through the dirt (as usual)…